Unit One POLSCI

Political Science

The systematic study of government and politics; a descriptive and analytical discipline that provides citizens with reliable information, systematic generalizations, and key political concepts.

Critical Thinking

The practice of using reliable information and judgment to evaluate political information and ideas.

Political Culture

Shared ideas and deeply held beliefs of people about politics, government, and preferences in public policy.

American Political Culture

The political culture characterized by core values including liberty, equality, individualism, and self-government.

Liberty

The principle that individuals should be free from arbitrary and oppressive government so they can think and act as they choose.

Equality

The notion that all individuals are equal in moral worth and are entitled to equal treatment under the law.

Individualism

The idea that people should take initiative, be self-sufficient, and accumulate the material advantages necessary for their well-being.

Self-Government

The principle that the people are the ultimate source and proper beneficiary of governing authority; in practice, government based on majority rule.

Alexis de Tocqueville

French writer who described American political culture and American "habits of the heart" in Democracy in America (1835).

Politics

The process through which a society settles its conflicts.

Power

The ability of persons or institutions to control policy.

Authority

The recognized right of officials to exercise power as a result of the positions they hold.

Authoritarian Government

A form of government in which those in power openly repress their opponents in order to stay in power.

Democracy

A form of government in which the people govern directly or through elected representatives.

Majoritarianism

The idea that the majority prevails not only in elections but also in determining policy.

Pluralism

A theory of American politics holding that society's interests are substantially represented through groups and that government is generally responsive to the interest group most directly affected by a policy.

Robert Dahl

Political scientist associated with pluralism; pluralism argues that political power and interests are represented through competing groups.

Constitutionalism

The idea that there are lawful limits on the power of government.

Free Market System

An economic system based on the idea that government should interfere with economic transactions as little as possible.

Corporate Power

The power corporations exercise in an effort to influence government and maintain control of the workplace.

Elitism

The notion that wealthy and well-connected individuals exercise power over certain areas of public policy; associated with C. Wright Mills.

Confirmation Bias

The tendency to favor information that confirms what a person already believes.

Political Party Polarization

The condition in which opinions and actions concerning political issues divide substantially along political party lines.

Cognitive Laziness

The tendency to avoid the effort required to carefully process and evaluate information; associated with Daniel Kahneman.

Political Spin

The presentation of political information by leaders or government entities in a way designed to influence how people perceive an issue.

Barriers to Political Thinking

Unwillingness to self-inform, biased media consumption, political spin, confirmation bias, polarization, and inattention to political processes.

Natural Rights

Rights people theoretically possess in the state of nature before governments are formed; examples include life, liberty, and property.

John Locke

17th-century English philosopher whose ideas about natural rights and the social contract strongly influenced American political thought.

Locke's Social Contract

The idea that individuals voluntarily agree to form a government, and the government is obligated to operate within the limits of that agreement.

Unalienable Natural Rights

Rights considered inherent to people and therefore unable to legitimately be taken away; Locke identified life, liberty, and property as natural rights.

Popular Sovereignty

The principle that government authority ultimately comes from the people.

Rule of Law

The principle that everyone, including government officials and rulers, is subject to the law.

Magna Carta

A 1215 document that helped establish limits on sovereign power and the principle that even kings are subject to legal limits.

Articles of Confederation

The first governing framework of the United States; it created a weak national government and preserved substantial state sovereignty.

Main Weakness of the Articles

The national government lacked important powers, including the ability to tax citizens, regulate interstate and foreign commerce, and effectively raise an army.

Articles of Confederation Taxation Problem

Congress could not impose taxes on citizens and could only request money from the states.

Articles of Confederation Commerce Problem

The national government could not regulate foreign trade or interstate commerce.

Articles of Confederation Military Problem

The national government could not raise an army and had to request troops from the states.

Articles of Confederation Representation Problem

Each state had one vote in Congress regardless of its population or size.

Articles of Confederation Amendment Problem

The Articles could not be changed without a unanimous vote.

Articles of Confederation Judicial Problem

There was no national judicial system.

Shays' Rebellion

A rebellion in which farmers led by Daniel Shays marched to prevent land foreclosures; it demonstrated the weakness of the national government.

Constitution

A fundamental law that defines how a government will legitimately operate.

Constitution of 1787

The document that created the current U.S. constitutional system and established a stronger national government while limiting government power.

Virginia Plan

A proposal for a strong Congress with two chambers based on numerical representation, giving larger states more power.

New Jersey Plan

A proposal for a strengthened Congress in which each state would have one vote, giving small states equal legislative power.

Three-Fifths Compromise

A compromise in which three-fifths of the enslaved population was counted for purposes of congressional apportionment and federal taxation.

Federalists

Supporters of the Constitution during the ratification debate; included James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and John Jay.

Anti-Federalists

Opponents of the Constitution during the ratification debate; included figures such as Patrick Henry, George Mason, and George Clinton.

Federalist Papers

A series of essays by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay intended to persuade Americans to support the Constitution.

Bill of Rights

The first ten amendments to the Constitution, protecting individual rights and limiting government power.

Limited Government

The principle that government power is restricted by constitutional rules and individual rights.

Separation of Powers

The division of government power among different branches of government.

Checks and Balances

A system in which the branches of government have overlapping powers that allow each branch to check the others.

Tyranny of the Majority

The potential for a majority to monopolize power for its own benefit at the expense of minority rights and interests.

Representative Democracy

A government in which citizens govern through elected representatives.

Republic

A form of government in which representatives make policy through institutions that encourage deliberation and protect individual liberty.

Democracy vs. Republic

Democracy emphasizes majority rule; a republic uses elected representatives and institutional limits to protect individual liberty and minority rights.

Judicial Review

The power of courts to determine whether a governmental institution is acting within its constitutional powers.

Marbury v. Madison

The 1803 Supreme Court case associated with establishing judicial review under Chief Justice John Marshall.

Electoral College

The system through which the president is indirectly elected rather than chosen through a direct national popular vote.

Federal Judges

Federal judges are appointed by the president and have indefinite terms subject to good behavior.

17th Amendment

The amendment that established direct popular election of U.S. senators.

22nd Amendment

The amendment that limits the president to two terms.

26th Amendment

The amendment that lowered the voting age to 18.

13th Amendment

The amendment that ended slavery.

14th Amendment

The amendment establishing equal protection and due process protections.

15th Amendment

The amendment concerning race and voting rights.

19th Amendment

The amendment granting women the right to vote.

Federalism

The constitutional division of governing authority between the national government and state governments.

Federalism Purpose

Federalism divides authority between national and regional governments, protects liberty, moderates government power, and strengthens the union.

Unitary System

A system in which governing authority is concentrated in the national government.

Confederacy

A system in which states or regional governments retain most governing authority and the central government is relatively weak.

National Sovereignty

The authority of the national government within the federal system.

State Sovereignty

The authority retained by state governments within the federal system.

Enumerated Powers

Powers specifically granted to the national government, including powers listed in Article I, Section 8.

Implied Powers

Powers not expressly stated in the Constitution but considered necessary to carry out enumerated powers.

Necessary and Proper Clause

The constitutional provision allowing Congress to make laws necessary and proper for carrying out its enumerated powers.

Elastic Clause

Another name for the Necessary and Proper Clause.

Supremacy Clause

The constitutional provision making national law supreme over state law when the national government is acting within its constitutional limits.

Reserved Powers

Powers not delegated to the national government that are reserved to the states under the Tenth Amendment.

Tenth Amendment

Establishes reserved powers by stating that powers not delegated to the national government are reserved for the states.

Concurrent Powers

Powers exercised by both the national and state governments.

Interstate Commerce Clause

The constitutional authority giving Congress power to regulate commerce among the states.

Equal Protection Clause

The Fourteenth Amendment provision requiring states to treat citizens equally.

Due Process Clause

A constitutional protection requiring government to follow certain rules and procedures and providing equal-treatment protections.

Full Faith and Credit Clause

The requirement that states recognize the judgments, legislation, and public records of other states.

Privileges and Immunities Clause

A provision preventing states from discriminating against citizens of other states.

Nationalization

The process by which authority in the American federal system has gradually shifted from the states to the national government.

McCulloch v. Maryland (1819)

A Supreme Court case associated with a nationalist view of federalism and the supremacy of national power.

Dred Scott Decision (1857)

A Supreme Court decision associated with the states'-rights view of federalism in the conflict over slavery.

Dual Federalism

A period and approach characterized by separation of national and state power.

Laissez-Faire Capitalism

An economic approach emphasizing limited government interference in economic transactions.

Cooperative Federalism

A system in which national, state, and local governments share policy responsibilities and work together.

Intergovernmental Relations

Interactions among national, state, and local governments.

Fiscal Federalism

The use of federal funds to support state programs.

Categorical Grants

Federal funds restricted to specific state or local programs or designated projects.

Block Grants

Federal funds given for a general policy area that allow state and local officials more discretion over how the money is spent.

New Federalism

The idea associated with Nixon and Reagan that federal programs, regulations, and spending in traditionally state-controlled policy areas should be reduced.

Devolution

The transfer or shift of authority from the national government to state and local governments.